Brad Penny: Steal of the Offseason

This article is also posted on Sox & Dawgs. Many thanks to Ian Bethune for letting me contribute to his blog.

Way back in December of 2008, Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein was in the mood for pitcher shopping, but he wasn't interested in pouring out boatloads of cash to acquire any big ticket guys like CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

Instead, Epstein looked to Brad Penny, a free agent from the Los Angeles Dodgers who suffered a plague of injuries in his shoulder and was limited to 19 starts. He compiled a 6-9 record and a 6.27 ERA after coming off back-to-back 16-win seasons.

And now with Daisuke Matsuzaka having more pitching and shoulder issues (thanks again WBC) this only gives Penny more of a chance to shine and prove he belongs in the Boston rotation with Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, and soon to be John Smoltz.